How can one reconcile the interpretation of the Hadith "deficient in intellect and religion," which refers to women's intelligence and ability to debate, with the interpretation by some of the early scholars (Salaf) of the verse (أَوَمَنْ يُنَشَّأُ فِي الْحِلْيَةِ وَهُوَ فِي الْخِصَامِ غَيْرُ مُبِينٍ) "Or is it one who is brought up among trinkets and in disputation unable to make herself clear?" – which some of them view as demeaning to women and describing them as weak in argument – taking into consideration the question of why the verse was not phrased in the feminine if it intended to refer to women, and the interpretation that sees the verse as referring to disbelievers?

The exegetes differed on the meaning of verse 18 of Surat Az-Zukhruf: (أَوَمَنْ يُنَشَّؤُا فِي الْحِلْيَةِ وَهُوَ فِي الْخِصامِ غَيْرُ مُبِينٍ - Or [is it She] who is brought up among ornaments and in dispute is not clear?) into two opinions: 1. Women: These are they who are brought up with adornments and jewelry, and do not show their strength in dispute due to shyness. This is the opinion of the majority of exegetes and is the most probable, as it aligns with the context of the verses that discuss the polytheists' view of females. It does not diminish their status but rather praises their innate modesty. 2. Idols: These are idols made from ornaments, which do not speak or clarify. This opinion is weak because it breaks the continuity of the meaning in the context of the verses that speak about females before and after it, and because idols do not dispute in the first place.

As for the return of the masculine pronoun (وهو - he) in the verse to a female, it is linguistically permissible, as the pronoun refers back to the masculine word (مَن - whoever), even if the meaning is feminine. This is common in the Arabic language and the Holy Qur'an.